The GDP quality assurance standard includes stringent requirements for the handling, storage and distribution of pharmaceuticals. The number of Panalpina locations globally with GDP certification now stands at 32 – a number that is on the up.
The GDP certificate was issued by Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority following a rigorous inspection, during which companies are vetted for compliance with HSA GDP guidelines.
With the new GDP certification, Panalpina is authorised to store, handle and distribute medicines in the local market and to ship them abroad on behalf of pharmaceutical companies.
“The pharmaceutical sector in Singapore has developed enormously since 2000 and the companies are increasingly outsourcing the logistics for their highly sensitive products,” says Gino Marzola, Panalpina’s managing director for Singapore and Malaysia. “Healthcare supply chains have a zero-fault tolerance, and the GDP certification for our brand-new facility demonstrates that we can meet that requirement. We also give pharmaceutical companies access to a global, quality distribution network for their products.”
The pharmaceutical sector is particularly important in Singapore. According to the Singapore Economic Development Board, eight of the top ten pharmaceutical companies have a presence here, manufacturing four of the top ten drugs by global revenue. In 2016, the sector produced more than S$16 billion worth of products for global markets.